The present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to systems for providing electrical connection between components and other structures in environments that are prone to connector misalignment and/or contamination or leakage.
The need to transmit electrical power and information (e.g., signal current, voltage, and/or time-dependent variations in electrical properties) extends to a wide variety of movable and removable structures. For example, in the manufacture and assembly of many common products, modular components may be manufactured remotely from one another and later assembled to create a finished product. During assembly, it is often advantageous to accommodate movement of components after they have been electrically connected. Later, it may be further advantageous to accommodate removal or further movement of the component for adjustment or servicing. For example, in automobiles, such components may include moveable and removable seats, doors, hoods, trunk lids, windows, sun/moon roofs, pumps, motors, alternators, and the like. While vehicles such as automobiles provide convenient examples to illustrate this need, however, it is easy to contemplate similar requirements in other applications such as computers, consumer electronics, and medical instruments and devices. For example, this need exists and is increasing in items such as LCD screens, DVD players, entertainment systems, communication devices, electrical auxiliary outlets, and data communication for Internet access and networking, and other applications where components are docked or otherwise mounted to other structures.
In many applications it is desirable to automatically make an electrical connection to a movable or removable structure while the structure is being physically attached to a supporting structure, such as a floor or dock. However, in these types of applications it is often difficult or expensive to ensure that a conventional electrical connector is correctly aligned for mating. For example, it may be difficult to visually align the connectors because their view is obscured by the components themselves. In addition to causing difficulty in aligning connectors, the inability to clearly view or access a connector may also exacerbate problems associated with contamination. For example, in many cases, the internal components of conventional connector bodies may be exposed to dirt, dust, debris, and other contaminants. Conventional electrical connectors, however, often lack protection from dirt, dust, and debris. Without the ability to visually inspect such unprotected connectors, however, contamination may be impossible to detect. In many environments, contamination may also be difficult to preventxe2x80x94even if it can be effectively detected.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,703 to Cisler, et al, which is hereby incorporated by references for background purposes, discloses a connector for a removable vehicle power seat. In Cisler, a female-like socket connector engages a vehicle mounted male-like pin connector when the seat is latched to the vehicle. It has been found, however, that such electrical connectors are prone to contamination from dirt, dust, debris, water, chemicals and other foreign matterxe2x80x94especially when the connector is not seated, such as when a seat is not mounted to the floor.
In addition to preventing foreign material from entering a connector, it may also be desirable to prevent leakage (e.g., of corrosion inhibiting compounds, dielectric compounds, electromagnetic radiation, and the like) from unmated connectors. It may also be advantageous to minimize the potential for electrical contact (e.g., unintentional grounding, application of excessive voltage) with the electrical contacts within a connector.
In addition, known moveable connection systems in general, and power removable seat connection systems in particular, lack mechanisms to bring unaligned connectors into alignment during mating. Although efforts may have been made to provide features that might facilitate alignment through, for example, flexibility of connectors or their mounts, no connection system or method currently exists for guiding a misaligned set of connectors into alignment.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have an electrical connection system and method whereby a misaligned set of connectors might be easily guided into alignment. It would also be advantageous if such an electrical connection system and method would minimize its susceptibility to contamination, particularly when the connectors are in an unmated state, while sufficiently exposing the contact surfaces of the connectors for effective mating. It would also be advantageous to have an electrical connection system and method that could prevent or minimize leakage from an electrical connector when it is unmated. It would further be advantageous to have an electrical connection system and method that could minimize the potential for undesirable electrical contact with electrical contacts of a connector when the connector is unmated.
The methods and apparatus of the present invention address many of the shortcomings of the prior art. In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, methods and systems provide improved electrical inter-connection with and among components as well as with and among other structures while overcoming many of the deficiencies of the prior art.
In one aspect, the invention provides a self-aligning electrical connector assembly providing protection from contamination, electrical contact, and/or leakage. In an exemplary embodiment, a connector assembly includes an insulative housing, at least one terminal accommodated in the housing, and a cover slidably retained by the housing. The cover may be of an electrically insulating material and may be adapted to prevent contamination within the housing, to prevent leakage out of the housing, or to prevent undesired electrical contact within the housing. The housing defines an opening for receiving a mating element. The terminal has a contact portion exposed for mating through the opening with a mating element. To provide protection from contamination, electrical contact, and/or leakage, when located at a first position, the cover covers the contact portion at the opening. Finally, the cover is movable to a second position relative to the housing to expose the contact portion for electrical contact with the mating element.
In one exemplary embodiment, an electrical connector also includes a spring that biases the cover toward the first position and that is retained by the housing. In another exemplary embodiment, the housing is adapted to receive the mating element along a connection axis, and the cover is movable along a sliding axis that lies non-parallel to the connection axis. The housing may defined an outer periphery such that the cover is movable entirely within the outer periphery.
In another exemplary embodiment, an electrical connector also includes a female alignment member that comprises a socket for receiving a male alignment member. In this embodiment, the female alignment member may include a passageway extending between the socket and a passageway opening that is defined by a chamfered rim to receive the male alignment member and to facilitate alignment of a misaligned male alignment member during mating.
In another exemplary embodiment, the cover has a forward end facing a direction of movement from the second position toward the first position, and the cover includes an inclined surface portion on a first side. In this embodiment, the inclined surface portion faces away from the cavity opening and slopes toward a second side opposite the first side and toward the forward end. Optionally, the inclined surface portion may extend to the forward end of the cover.
In another embodiment, an electrical connector comprises a first connector member and a second connector member. The first connector member comprises an insulative first housing adapted to receive at least one conductive first terminal. The second connector member comprises an insulative second housing, which defines a cavity having a cavity opening adapted to receive the first terminal. The second housing is also adapted to receive at least one conductive second terminal having a contact portion exposed in the cavity for electrically contacting the first terminal. In accordance with this embodiment, the second connector member further comprises a cover slidably retained by the second housing, and, when located at a first position the cover covers the contact portion at the cavity opening. The cover has a surface exposed for mating whereby upon an insertion movement of the first connector member with respect to the second connector member, the first connector member moves the cover toward a second position, exposing the cavity opening for the first terminal to enter the cavity and electrically contact the second terminal.
In one exemplary embodiment, the cover is movable along a path that is in nonparallel relation to a connection axis, along which the insertion movement extends. In another exemplary embodiment, the cover is moveable entirely within an outer periphery defined by the second housing.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, an electrical connector also comprises a flexible mounting bracket attached to one of the first and second connector members such that the connector member is free to move in both an X and a Y direction that extend orthogonally with respect to the connection axis. In accordance with this embodiment, the first connector member further comprises a male alignment member, and the second connector member further comprising a female alignment member. Accordingly, during insertion movement, the male and female alignment members cooperate with each other such that one of the first and second connector members is free to move in an X and a Y direction into alignment with the other of the first and second connector members. The male alignment member may also comprise a projection, and the female alignment member may comprises a passageway extending to a passageway opening, which may be defined by a chamfered rim to facilitate alignment of a misaligned male alignment member during mating, for receiving the projection. Optionally, the cover may have a forward end facing a direction of movement from the second position toward the first position. The cover may include an inclined surface portion on a first side that faces away from the cavity opening. In addition, the inclined surface portion may be sloping toward a second side opposite the first side and toward the forward end. Accordingly, during the mating movement, the male alignment member may abut the inclined surface portion, thereby causing the cover to move from the first position toward the second position.
In another exemplary embodiment, an electrical connector includes a first connector member and a second connector member. The first connector member includes an insulative first housing, in which at least one conductive first terminal is mounted. The second connector member includes an insulative second housing that defines an opening adapted to receive the first terminal. At least one conductive second terminal may be mounted in the second housing, and the second terminal may have a contact portion exposed in the opening for electrically contacting the first terminal. The second connector member also includes a cover that is slidably secured to the second housing, that generally covers the opening when located at a first position, and that is movable to a second position to expose the contact portion for electrical contact with the first terminal.
Accordingly, various embodiments of the invention enable a first connector to be mounted on a floor, guide rail, and other structures. The cover protects terminals exposed through a cavity opening in the first connector housing from contamination by dirt, dust, debris, liquids and other foreign matter when the connector is in an unmated state. As the first and second connectors are mated, movement of the second connector into the first connector causes angled surfaces on the alignment posts of the second connector to engage angled surfaces on the cover thereby sliding the cover away from the cavity opening. Angled surfaces on the alignment posts also cooperate with angled surfaces at the edge of alignment post receiving sockets to guide a misaligned second connector into the first connector. A spring loaded into a cover retainer portion of the first connector pushes the cover back into place when the second connector is disengaged from the first connector.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following brief description of the drawings, detailed description, and appended drawings.